I also wanted to be a veterinarian. That is, until I found out I'd have to deal with dying animals. The thought of that broke my little heart at the time so I decided being a flight attendant would be a much better option.

As the years passed, I cherished many more dreams yet little did I know at the time that those early desires were a preview of life's coming attractions:

Creating a freedom based lifestyle and location independent business.

In 1993 I was recruited by United Airlines and my dream of being a flight attendant came true. I traveled to many wonderful places and met many wonderful people around the world, many of whom are still dear friends to this day.

I loved my freedom based lifestyle!

Never much of a fan of working 9-5, apart from a stint in fashion retail, for most of my life I had opted for jobs that allowed me to have time off when the majority of people were working. Nothing like going to the beach during the week and avoiding the weekend crowd.

After fifteen years with United, my soul was nudging me to take a leap of faith. So in 2008 I resigned and decided to focus all my time and energy on my healing and coaching business. Something I'd been doing on the side for years and was now calling me to make it a priority.

If you've ever left a well paying job with great benefits, or considered leaving to pursue your heart's calling, then you know how it can feel both exciting and terrifying all at once, right?

With no savings to my name yet a huge amount of faith, I embarked on what turned out to be a fast track of bringing to light every frickin' fear and every possible limiting beLIEf I had ever taken on.

Ever is a long time...

There was a LOT of clearing to be done.

In the years that followed, I almost went bankrupt.

Not just financially.

By 2012 I felt defeated and emotionally and spiritually depleted.

Yet somehow... I kept my faith and knew it would all turn out ok... eventually.

There were times I wondered if my spirit team were on vacation or if they'd abandoned me.

Then I'd receive a sign so obvious that I was not alone, that I knew I was on the 'right' track.

In the early days, one such sign appeared a year after leaving my airline job, when I was having a tantrum. I asked Source for a sign that I was on the right track and to better bloody well make it obvious because I'd apparently missed any other signs. Oh, and thank you.

Off to Glastonbury I went on a trip with 12 friends and down to my last 100 euros.

The first morning there, my best friends and I went for a walk to the Tor and before climbing up, one of my friends turned around to enjoy the view over Chalice Hill and exclaimed:

Oh my God, Tina... have a look at this!

I turned around and this is what I saw:

My name in HUGE letters in the grass, as if it had been stamped there.

As I saw this, I heard a voice as clear as I could hear you speak, ask me:

Is that big enough for you?

This was before iPhones and FB Lives or I'd have shared it that way for sure. Instead I took a bunch of photos and had them printed so as to re-mind me that I was definitely not alone, my spirit team had not abandoned me, and to keep the faith.

Pretty wild, right?

Anyway, mid 2012 I received another sign.

This time it was a song: 'I still call Australia home'.

It just started playing in my head and I burst into tears.

My soul was nudging me to return home to live in Australia again after 20 years abroad.

I'd hit rock bottom and there seemed to be no way I could get my business off the ground. No matter what I'd tried, nothing was working so I quit trying.

I returned to Australia in 2013 and lived with my mum and stepdad for the first 6 months.

Grateful to have a home base and immensely loving spending so much time in the ocean again, yet I can assure you:

This was not how I'd imagined my life would be at 45!

I'd made a deal with my soul:

Until I felt truly inspired again, I was not going to do anything and most definitely not attempt to start a business again.

As I'd arrived in summer, I was just soaking up the ocean vibes and would spend countless hours at the beach, swimming and journaling.

Slowly but surely I started to feel inspired again.

After a few months back in Oz, I received a divine download of inspiration at the beach which led to the creation of 40 Days of Money and Miracles.

Here I am with the very first, hot-off-the-press copy.

By 2015, just after having become an international bestseller co-author with my story in 'Choosing Happiness', published by Linda Joy Publishing, I packed up my belongings to go into storage once again.

This time to start housesitting as a way to discover where I might like to live.

What started as something to do for a few months has turned into a whole new level of freedom based living that got my location independent business off the ground and thriving in ways I could not have foreseen at the time.

Remember my childhood dream of being a vet?

Well, instead of being a vet I've become a pet nanny.

One of the things I loved about being with the airlines was the constant change of scenery by being in different places for a few days, even if that was returning to the same places often.

There's something invigorating about being in a new environment.

All those years of flying got me used to moving and quickly settling into any place, as if at home.

Now I get to enjoy staying in the most beautiful homes with the most adorable fur babies without the jet lag!

And because my business is location independent, I am truly free to live anywhere and do what I love, as long as there's internet.

People often ask me if I miss having my own place.

There are moments when I'd like to settle into my own home again yet I'd still want to housesit as I love all my furry friends too much!

And as far as what I do if I have a gap in between bookings?

These days I either stay at a hotel or Airbnb.

Or I stay with my new friends from the housesits who have invited me to stay with them even when they are at home.

It's an amazing lifestyle that works for me like a charm.

It has taught me to trust at the deepest levels that I truly always am in the right place at the right time.

And my furry friends have helped me heal the childhood trauma of losing my dear dog and have filled my heart to overflowing with love.

Teachers appear in many ways and in many forms.

Most of mine have four legs.

Here are I am with just a few of them:

As I often say:

Creating the life and business of your dreams can be the most challenging thing you'll ever do. Yet, at the same time, it's the most fulfilling way to live.

Why?

It'll challenge you to let go of ALL outdated (mis)perceptions and (self)imposed limitations, rules and beLIEfs that had you buy into the biggest lie of them all: that you're separate from Source.

It will stir up every fear you've ever held onto, whether you knew it or not, of being rejected, judged, persecuted, outcast, ridiculed, abandoned etc etc.

When you do, though, you liberate your soul to be the trailblazer you came here to be... to blaze your own trail as you express your brilliance in the world in the most joyful and deLIGHTful ways for YOU.

And at such times, as you're called to shine your light bright and to BE YOU, it helps to remember the wise words of Dr Seuss:

Those who mind, don't matter. Those who matter, won't mind.

If someone had told me back in 2012 what my life would look like today, I'd have declared them insane.

I mean, I didn't even know what housesitting was! And I certainly couldn't have imagined I'd be a money mindset mentor for soulpreneurs and helping others create a business that they love and make the money they want.

But... that's what happened for me.

And I can only imagine the amazingness I'll be sharing a few years from now.

How about you?

Did your childhood dreams manifest?

Did/do you dream of a freedom based lifestyle and location independent business?

How has that played out in your life so far?

In a society that values working your ass off and sacrificing your wellbeing with the 'no pain, no gain' mantra, what I propose will be radical for many...

Find what lights you up and what's fun for you. Then go be and do more of that every day until you realise you've created the life and business of your dreams beyond anything you could have imagined when you first started!

About the Author

Tina van Leuven is a Money Mindset Mentor for Soulpreneurs and Joyful Soul Business Coach, plus an international bestselling author who knows how to help you turn off your Inner Shitty Committee, upgrade your money mindset, and align with your soul path so your business is a true expression of your divine essence.
Her strength lies in her light-hearted, yet deep approach to getting to the core of what's been holding you back so you are free to seriously enjoy your life and business.